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Victoria’s Liberals pledge $2 all-day public transport fares

The Liberals are promising Melburnians will ride all day for just $2. <i>Photo: AAP</i>

The Liberals are promising Melburnians will ride all day for just $2. Photo: AAP

Victorians could pay just $2 for all-day public transport if the Liberal Party wins the state election.

The opposition on Sunday announced it would slash the price of train, tram and bus travel in a bid to combat the cost of living.

The daily flat fare cap would see public transport users touching on with a single daily charge against their Myki travel for the rest of the day for no further cost.

The party said it would save the typical family of public transport users around $3,500 per year.

The $2 flat fare would apply to travel on the metropolitan train, tram and bus network, and on non-V/Line regional city and town services.

State opposition leader Matthew Guy said the program would cost $1.3 billion and last four years.

The Melbourne free tram zone would stay in place, as would other existing concession and discount tickets – no one would pay more than they do today.

Nurses and healthcare workers would also ride free.

“Behind keeping a roof over their heads and food on the table, transport is one of the biggest costs for thousands of families’ bottom lines,” Mr Guy told reporters on Sunday.

“Under our plan, families will enjoy cheaper train, tram and bus fares all day, every day and put those savings back into what really matters.”

Eliminating level crossings

Public transport was the theme of the day with Premier Daniel Andrews making a level crossing announcement in Glen Huntly on Sunday morning.

Mr Andrews promised, if re-elected, to remove seven dangerous and congested level crossings and close two more on the Frankston Line – making it boom gate-free by 2029.

Early engineering assessments have informed preferred design options for each of these level crossing removals, with the majority being replaced with rail bridges above ground while Groves Street, Aspendale will go underneath the road.

“We will make the Frankston Line level crossing free, which makes our busiest sections of the rail network safer and less congested,” Minister for Transport Infrastructure Jacinta Allan said on Sunday,

The Victorian Greens will meanwhile try to bolster support in Melbourne’s inner south by holding a climate forum in Elwood on Sunday.

The Greens held the Southern Metropolitan Upper House seat for 12 years but lost it last election.

-AAP

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